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cherry13bomb

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 26, 2010
38
0
I can't get my Mac mini to accept discs. I'm almost positive there is not one already in it. I tried to search for a solution and none of them worked. (Shutting down and holding the mouse button, etc.) I read that the SuperDrive can fail because of a fan issue. Is that true? Thinking about it, I haven't heard my fan in a while (it was always loud enough that I could hear it especially on startup. I took the bottom off and it's spinning, but slow. The computer is working fine otherwise. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
I can't get my Mac mini to accept discs. I'm almost positive there is not one already in it. I tried to search for a solution and none of them worked. (Shutting down and holding the mouse button, etc.) I read that the SuperDrive can fail because of a fan issue. Is that true? Thinking about it, I haven't heard my fan in a while (it was always loud enough that I could hear it especially on startup. I took the bottom off and it's spinning, but slow. The computer is working fine otherwise. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Optical drives die. Fact of life. Some die faster than others. Get a cheap external. This is one reason why apple is dropping them like a hot potato.
 
I'd have a look in "About This Mac" (click on Apple sign in top left corner), then "System Report" & click on "Disk Burning". If the superdrive is recognized & is confirmed as reading DVDs, you may need to reset the SMC (if you haven't already done so). If it's not recognized, then it's probably bust.

Apple's official trouble-shooting help page for this specific problem offers other possible solutions which, maybe, has at least one you've not yet tried:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2801

FWIW, considering the price of Macs, these slot-loading superdrives seem to be a bit of a weak link. If you Google, you'll find loads of threads about Mac users having similar problems. I've never had a failure but, for eg., my former iMac's superdrive always made a loud noise with some disks, while scratching others. Ditto my iBook's drive. :rolleyes:

However, since I bought a 2011 Mini without an internal superdrive, I've had no such issues with a Samsung external, tray-loading drive. Just my 2p worth. - GL!
 
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OLDCODGER

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2011
963
400
Lucky Country
I can't get my Mac mini to accept discs. I'm almost positive there is not one already in it. I tried to search for a solution and none of them worked. (Shutting down and holding the mouse button, etc.) I read that the SuperDrive can fail because of a fan issue. Is that true? Thinking about it, I haven't heard my fan in a while (it was always loud enough that I could hear it especially on startup. I took the bottom off and it's spinning, but slow. The computer is working fine otherwise. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The Superdrive on my 2009 Mini packed up some time ago, so I got a can of compressed air and blew through the disk slot. Worked ever since.
 

thinjabba

macrumors newbie
Sep 17, 2023
1
0
The Superdrive on my 2009 Mini packed up some time ago, so I got a can of compressed air and blew through the disk slot. Worked ever since.
Just used compressed air in my 2010 mini's superdrive that hasn't worked in years and it immediately started working LMAOOOOO
 

Micky Do

macrumors 68020
Aug 31, 2012
2,214
3,162
a South Pacific island
It's not for nothing that Apple dropped Superdrive from the Mac Mini and all its lineup soon after the Mac Mini took on its present form. It was the most unreliable component of of a computer, better replaced with an external drive for those who had a need for one. With more of the wold getting on line with fast fibre based internet, CDs DVDs and the like were well on the way to being yesterday's technology....

Remember the quaint old days when you paid quite a bit to get the latest operating system, which came to you on a CD.
 
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